Post office · Madras Presidency
Salem
- Handstamps
- 6
- Recorded
- 1824–1853
Salem City, headquarters of Salem District, Madras Presidency, is 206 miles from Madras, and situated 11°19' N and 78°10' E. By treaty with Haidar Ali's son in 1792, the whole District, except Oosoor fell to the Company.
Salem has 6 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1824–1853 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Manuscript markings
1 markBefore handstamps were introduced, postmasters wrote postal details by hand — these manuscript markings pre-date the struck marks above.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Salem handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Salem postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Salem?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Salem are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Salem post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Salem was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 6 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1824 and 1853.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Salem?
- 6 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Salem in this census. Each mark carries its Hammond Giles catalogue figure number, colour, date range, evidence-based rarity grade, and links to every surviving cover recorded with it.
- How do I identify a Salem postmark or cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impressions on this page — each figure shows the mark's design, ink colour and recorded date range. If your Salem cover bears a mark that matches a figure, open that figure's page to see every recorded example with provenance. If it matches none, it may be unrecorded: submit photographs through the form on this page and the editors will review it for inclusion in the census.
Also searched as: Salem, Salem HG 1, Salem handstruck stamps, Salem pre stamp covers, Salem postal history.
How to cite
“Salem, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/salem (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Salem?
If you hold a cover or strike from Salem that does not match any figure above, submit it below. Approved additions appear here as new entries in the census — every submission is reviewed first.
Same presidency
Other post offices in the Madras Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Madras Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.